Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,573 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,103 in Durres.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Durres is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.69

$9.48 ALL 766

66.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.2

$35.56 ALL 2,874

78.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.08

$7.27 ALL 587

43.74%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$1.96 ALL 158

48.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.58 ALL 127

44.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.79 ALL 63.7

89.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.10

$2.43 ALL 196

46.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$3.34 ALL 270

18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.05 ALL 165

-47.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.92 ALL 74.0

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.01 ALL 163

-15.42%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$3.01 ALL 243

7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.51

$10.48 ALL 847

26.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.69

$7.64 ALL 618

0.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.70

$13.13 ALL 1,061

20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$1.16 ALL 93.6

96.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.44 ALL 197

-31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.28 ALL 104

57.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.15 ALL 92.6

114.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.10 ALL 88.8

62.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.99 ALL 80.2

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.15 ALL 92.8

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.62 ALL 50.5

33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$4.12 ALL 333

58.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.84

$11.00 ALL 889

-49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.66 ALL 134

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$1.82 ALL 147

65.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.49 ALL 39.77

363.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.27

$18.09 ALL 1,461

156.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$3.60 ALL 291

17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.11 ALL 171

-59.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.36

$17.45 ALL 1,410

7.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.11 ALL 170

-4.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K €30.4K

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

126.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K €34.4K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

54.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €129

$68.3 ALL 5,516

116.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.52 €17.83

$17.80 ALL 1,439

15.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.34

$15.74 ALL 1,272

151.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.85

$37.70 ALL 3,046

27.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.97

$58.9 ALL 4,758

-68.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.90

$7.03 ALL 568

29.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$615 €534

$174 ALL 14.1K

253.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

272.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.2

$38.89 ALL 3,142

161.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.57

$39.80 ALL 3,216

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.2

$85.5 ALL 6,906

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$158 ALL 12.7K

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,400

$415 ALL 33.6K

288.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,089

$322 ALL 26.0K

289.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,667

$593 ALL 47.9K

418.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,769

$423 ALL 34.2K

381.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,734

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

332.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,724

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

270.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,392

$949 ALL 76.7K

68.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.33

-28.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Durres: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $415 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $241 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $415 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Durres – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 156% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,043 in Durres versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,043 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Durres are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.